Guides

What actually works

Short, specific guides to the problems that show up most in the data, written to help you skip the products that don't fix them.

Disinfectant

The best shower filter for chloramine (and why most don't work)

Over a third of large US cities disinfect with chloramine, which standard KDF and carbon shower filters barely touch. What actually works, and how to tell from the box.

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Hardness

Water softener vs. filter: what actually fixes hard water

Filters don't soften water. When you need a salt-based softener, when a salt-free conditioner is enough, and what renters can do about scale.

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Radon

Radon testing at home: kits, monitors and when to mitigate

How to test for radon for $15-25, when a digital monitor is worth it, what the numbers mean, and what mitigation costs.

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Renters

Water filters for renters: what works without touching the plumbing

Pitchers, countertop reverse osmosis, faucet and shower filters: which one fixes which problem, and what to skip, when you can't install anything.

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